PNB chief executive Abdul Jalil Rasheed quits and 9 news from yesterday

KINI ROUNDUP | Here are key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

1. Permodalan Nasional Berhad CEO Abdul Jalil Rasheed (above)has resigned, saying that he has been harassed over his work and has made the difficult choice to resign, rather than to continue to enjoy the perks of his office while battling his own “good conscience”.

2. Khazanah Nasional’s deputy managing director Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn is reportedly being considered as the potential successor to the post vacated by Abdul Jalil. Putra Business School’s (PBS) associate professor Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff called on the PNB shareholders not to worry about the change of guard.

3. The live music scene in Malaysia is struggling to stay afloat, even as Covid-19 restrictions are being relaxed, as concerts are banned and could not be replaced by virtual performances as a source of income.

4. Two United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) assemblypersons in Sabah have defected to Perikatan Nasional, while Bugaya assemblyperson Manis Muka Dara denied allegations that she is quitting Warisan.

5. Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal made the case that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed is still a better choice to lead the country than the current PN-led government.

6. TNB has been summoned by the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry to explain the electricity bill shock faced by many residential consumers, as politicians clamoured for the energy company to give bulk discounts for electricity consumed during the movement control order period.

7. Special prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram has remained silent again despite former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali’s allegations that Gopal tried to convince him to play a role in arresting then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak. The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has refused to delay Najib’s 1MDB audit tampering trial over the allegation.

8. Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry does make house calls in certain cases to conduct Covid-19 tests, despite Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s statement on the contrary.

9. The Health Ministry is investigating the re-emergence of a Covid-19 cluster at a home for old folks in Kuala Selangor after a new case has been found there, with a resident admitted to hospital.

10. Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah drew praise from netizens after setting aside protocol to enjoy roti tempayan at a local shop in Pekan, Pahang.